I respect Zimmer for venturing into some new territories. His one note Joker theme was very original and very effective, despite what some say. As a composer I love the guy. As an influence on film music, he's awful.

He can do symphonic scores when he puts his mind to it. I believe he succeeded with the Da Vinci Code.

Absolutely. But Nolan shares the blame for the direction of the new Batman music too. He wanted more textural stuff, and not letting Zimmer accentuate the emotion and action more often (which is what film music is for!). There are other ways to do a Batman score without emulating Elfman, Goldenthal or Walker.

Sound design and a few chords strung together doesn't really cut it for me. Zimmer is capable of and has done much stronger work.

Perhaps partially, but Zimmer has stated in multiple interviews that he was pushing against the big hero theme and things like that, and I recall reading one where he was resisting against the more Romantic elements, which is why so much of the more tender and lush string elements from Begins are MIA in The Dark Knight.

Wow, I never thought of it that way! But you're right! Don Davis' sound for the Matrix would have been just perfect for these Batman films!!!!

I miss Don Davis and his voice in the film score world. I was talking to Broxton about it, according to him, Davis is searching for gigs. But after having been absent from the industry for so long (thanks to his opera amongst other things), he's struggling to get a a spot for a film. Apparently he's been trying quite a bit too

"Modern, serious music has become embroiled in an intellectual discussion that has no place in music. Certainly, the great composer of the past were geniuses and used their intellect, but only to serve their emotions and guide their craft. Not to dictate to them what they should or shouldn't write" - Michael Kamen, 1995

Zimmer's done with his Gladiator ways, he said so himself. He wants to focus on doing more with less, and working with texture in music. What he's talking about with Rises is most likely the chant heard in the trailers. There's a recorded one and then there's one where he combined people's recordings from UJam, an idea obviously borrowed from his collaborator from On Stranger Tides, Eric Whitacre.

"Modern, serious music has become embroiled in an intellectual discussion that has no place in music. Certainly, the great composer of the past were geniuses and used their intellect, but only to serve their emotions and guide their craft. Not to dictate to them what they should or shouldn't write" - Michael Kamen, 1995

Wow, I never thought of it that way! But you're right! Don Davis' sound for the Matrix would have been just perfect for these Batman films!!!!

I miss Don Davis and his voice in the film score world. I was talking to Broxton about it, according to him, Davis is searching for gigs. But after having been absent from the industry for so long (thanks to his opera amongst other things), he's struggling to get a a spot for a film. Apparently he's been trying quite a bit too

I'm just imagining something like the end of "Anything is Possible" closing out the Batman trilogy. Damn.

I hope he gets something soon. I watched The Matrix recently and was struck by just how well developed a score it is. And the ending as originally scored is just spine-tingling.

Perhaps partially, but Zimmer has stated in multiple interviews that he was pushing against the big hero theme and things like that, and I recall reading one where he was resisting against the more Romantic elements, which is why so much of the more tender and lush string elements from Begins are MIA in The Dark Knight.

That's a shame. All superhero films should be contractually required to have a big theme... even a more realistic take on Batman should've had one. Textural and murky sound doesn't cut it.

I'm hoping Zimmer will embrace more romantic and more emotional elements for this film, since Catwoman/Selina Kyle (and likely Cotillard's Miranda Tate) will be the love interest and this is the final Batman film for this particular cast & crew. Zimmer needs to back away from the wall of sound and go for the emotional impact.

The choral element for Bane is very unusual and out of the box... so that seems like a step in the right direction.

I've messed around with that a bit--not actually made a video, but, for instance, the first part of "The Promise" goes nicely with Bruce leaving Rachel's car and throwing the gun into the river. And, even though it doesn't fit with all the dialogue, "Batman's Destiny" over the end of TDK is very nice.

Wow, I never thought of it that way! But you're right! Don Davis' sound for the Matrix would have been just perfect for these Batman films!!!!

I miss Don Davis and his voice in the film score world. I was talking to Broxton about it, according to him, Davis is searching for gigs. But after having been absent from the industry for so long (thanks to his opera amongst other things), he's struggling to get a a spot for a film. Apparently he's been trying quite a bit too

Surely there are directors/producers who would kill to get someone of Davis' stature!

Too high a fee maybe? There's definitely still demand for traditional scores - just not in the bigger films these days.

To me, Mask of the Phantasm will probably always be the best score written for a Batman film. I enjoy Elfman and Zimmer/Howard's work to varying degrees, but Walker did the best theme.

I really enjoyed the score to the game Arkham City. It was a bit like Walker meets Zimmer.

Do you like John Williams? His early work was a little too jazzy for my taste, but when Jaws came out in '75 I really think he came into his own, commercially and artistically. The whole album has a clear, crisp sound, and an air of consummate professionalism that really gives the pieces a big boost. He's been compared to Jerry Goldsmith but I think John has a far more leitmotif-driven style of composing. In '82 John composed this, E.T., his most accomplished album to date. I think his undisputed masterpiece is "The Magic of Halloween", a theme so catchy most people don't listen to what it means. But they should, because it's not just about the pleasures of childhood and the importance of friendship, it's also a personal statement about the man himself. Hey Paul! - Patrick Bateman on the Maestro

Wow, I never thought of it that way! But you're right! Don Davis' sound for the Matrix would have been just perfect for these Batman films!!!!

I miss Don Davis and his voice in the film score world. I was talking to Broxton about it, according to him, Davis is searching for gigs. But after having been absent from the industry for so long (thanks to his opera amongst other things), he's struggling to get a a spot for a film. Apparently he's been trying quite a bit too

Surely there are directors/producers who would kill to get someone of Davis' stature!

Too high a fee maybe? There's definitely still demand for traditional scores - just not in the bigger films these days.

I don't think its that. I'm sure Davis would reduce his fee if he couldn't get any gigs. I think the problem is just that he's been gone from the industry too long, so now a lot of other composers have a lead in getting spot on the industry. Davis sort of lost his former fame and probably became kind of forgotten with his absence. And considering how the industry has become a lot more competitive now, Davis is a player whose really behind in the game...

I'm seriously hoping someone will give him a job (even the Wachowski Brothers seem to have moved on... )

To me, Mask of the Phantasm will probably always be the best score written for a Batman film. I enjoy Elfman and Zimmer/Howard's work to varying degrees, but Walker did the best theme.

I really enjoyed the score to the game Arkham City. It was a bit like Walker meets Zimmer.

I agree on both counts. I feel Walker has the theme most comprehensively true to the character. Elfman's tackles the mysterious, mythical and exciting sides of Batman wonderfully, but I think Walker's theme manages to touch on that along with capturing the heart behind the symbol. The Zimmer/Howard two-note theme and Molossus theme both probably have potential beyond their implementation in BB and TDK, but I don't think any of that material approaches the nailing of the actual character and his facets in the way that Elfman and Walker did.

And Arkham City's score, as with the other facets of the game, was a big improvement over its predecessor, I thought.

Did you look at all the Catwoman pics? If you loved the 1960s TV series, Nolan mostly used that template for Hathaway's Selina Kyle... which is very hot. The front pic of her on the EW cover isn't flattering at all.

And what didn't surprise is that WB will attach the final trailer for the movie on all releases of The Avengers (regular 3D, 2D, and IMAX 2D/3D). Not surprising since WB did the same thing for Nolan's past two movies on Marvel Studios releases.

I love how a lot of people like myself miss Don Davis in the composing ring. I too wish he would return to writing film scores. He'd probably blow Zimmer and other Media Ventures guys out of the water for the new stuff coming out.

I'm not surprised Zimmer basically copied one piece of music for The Dark Knight.

Have you guys forgotten what Horner did for The Search For Spock?

Kathryn Janeway: "Time travel. Since my first day on the job as a Starfleet Captain I swore I'd never let myself get caught in one of these godforsaken paradoxes - the future is the past, the past is the future, it all gives me a headache."

The more I think about it, the more I keep thinking about how perfect Davis would have been for the Nolan's Batman trilogy. Dammit, it sucks when the industry prevents such talent to really prosper! It really sucks about the Davis situation (as can be read about above). I hope the man can get a major gig soon!

The more I think about it, the more I keep thinking about how perfect Davis would have been for the Nolan's Batman trilogy. Dammit, it sucks when the industry prevents such talent to really prosper! It really sucks about the Davis situation (as can be read about above). I hope the man can get a major gig soon!

I don't think it would have mattered if Davis was still composing regularly or not.

The more I think about it, the more I keep thinking about how perfect Davis would have been for the Nolan's Batman trilogy. Dammit, it sucks when the industry prevents such talent to really prosper! It really sucks about the Davis situation (as can be read about above). I hope the man can get a major gig soon!

I don't think it would have mattered if Davis was still composing regularly or not.

No, it wouldn't have. Even if Davis was composing regularly then, Nolan wouldn't have gone with them. But that doesn't change the fact that Davis would have been a great choice for the films.